A program
recently offered to South Ripley students and parents was put
to the test on Tuesday when officials closed school early due
to the weather.

Nixle - a web based service used to pass time sensitive information
- has been implemented at South Ripley schools, according to Dan
Goris, transportation director for the corporation.

Nixle was put into place and letters were sent home to parents
last week. They now have the option of adding this service to
services already in place, such as radio and television, to get
information about school closings, delays and emergency related
issues.

Nixle allows text messages and emails to be sent to anyone choosing
to embrace the new program at South Ripley. Of course, any fees
associated with texting apply. In other words, if you dont
have free text on your phone, you would be charged.

Goris stressed that radio and television will still be used to
publicize delays, closings, etc. This information (Nixle) is very
helpful if a bus is delayed due to a traffic accident leaving
parents wondering where their children are. It is also very useful
to working parents who must provide a safe place for their children
to go when school is closed early as it was on Tuesday. If the
parent cannot get to a television or have access to radio, the
message could come directly to their cell phone.

Sheriff Grills learned about the program in the spring of 2009
at the National Sheriffs Institute. He looked into Nixle
and after doing some testing with the system had the sheriffs
office up and running with it by September of that same year.

I have had a great response from the community on the program,
Sheriff Grills told The Versailles Republican. He continued,
Road closures, weather alerts, or attempt to locates that
are sent out gives the community real time

information on any emergency. This is helpful for both residents
and law enforcement.
The sheriff described it as a affordable mass communication tool.

Goris, a 30-year veteran of law enforcement knows the importance
of communication on many different levels In his new position
as transportation director, he thought Nixle would prove to be
a valuable tool to assist in communicating with parents and students.
After gleaning information and talking with the sheriff and Batesville
transportation director, Goris talked about the possibility of
the program with Dr. John Mehrle, superintendent of South Ripley
schools. With all parties on board the program was launched.

You can log on to www.nixle.com. From the Nixle home page you
can navigate the site by entering your citys name or proceed
directly to resident registration. After completing and submitting
the registration page you will be able to customize your account
by choosing the locations and settings of your notifications.

The settings tab is one of the most important, as it allows users
to determine the agencies and organizations from which they will
receive notifications. It also permits users to choose the levels
of the messages received (alert, advisory, community, traffic).
If South Ripley is not listed at the bottom of the page there
is a search setting. Type in South Ripley Community School Corp
and it will show up. Note that the COMMUNITY options must be selected
in order to receive text and email notifications from South Ripley.

Goris said Tuesday was a good test for those who have signed on
for the program. Also, Tuesday evening, he sent out a message
about a two-hour delay for Wednesday. If you have signed on and
didnt get the messages, you might want to check your settings
or check with the school.